Full Overlay vs. Partial Overlay Doors
Overlay describes how much of the cabinet front a door covers. With full overlay, doors and drawer fronts cover nearly the whole front of the cabinet, leaving only narrow, even gaps between them. The look is seamless and modern, and the doors are large and flat.
With partial overlay (also called standard or traditional overlay), the doors are smaller and leave a band of the face frame visible around each door and drawer. It is a familiar, traditional look and is more forgiving of small variations in fit, because the visible frame hides them.
Full overlay is available on both framed and frameless cabinets. In fact, every frameless cabinet is full overlay. Partial overlay needs a face frame. Inset is the third option, with doors sitting inside the frame rather than over it.
Which is better? It depends on the look you want. Full overlay suits contemporary and transitional kitchens and gives slightly easier access to the inside of the cabinet. Partial overlay suits traditional design. Either way, clean, consistent gaps depend on careful building and installation.
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